Holly shot a resentful look at the back of her mum’s head and half-heartedly helped her to look for the purse. Any other mother would have consoled their child and tried to help them find a solution to their problems, but her mum cared more about her stupid job than her own daughter. And she wondered why Holly didn’t feel able to confide in her. Bitch!
Desperate to talk to the only person who would understand or care about her predicament, Holly sulked in her room until her mum had left for work. Snatching up her phone as soon as the door closed behind her, she rang Suzie.
‘My mum’s a total cow!’ she complained when Suzie answered.
‘Oh dear. What’s she done?’
‘I told her I don’t feel well and asked if I can stay off school tomorrow, but she won’t let me.’
‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘I’ve had a horrible day, and it’s made me feel really sick. And now I’ve got a headache as well.’
‘Another run-in with Bex?’ Suzie asked perceptively.
‘Her and everyone else,’ Holly moaned. ‘She told them my mum’s a prostitute.’
‘Oh, that’s awful. Why would she do that?’
‘’Cos she’s a bitch,’ Holly spat. ‘But that’s not the worst of it. I got mad and told the hardest girl in our class something Bex had told me about her, and now she’s got it in for me too. I heard some other girls going on about a fight after school, and I know Leanne was going to jump me. I managed to get out before her today, but she’ll get me tomorrow, and I don’t know what to do.’
‘Hey . . .’ Suzie said when Holly started crying. ‘Calm down before you make yourself ill for real. It’ll be OK.’
‘No it won’t,’ Holly sobbed. ‘Leanne’s massive, and she’ll batter me if she gets hold of me. All I wanted was a couple of days off to let it die down, but my mum doesn’t give a toss.’
‘Did you tell her why you wanted to stay off?’
‘Yeah, but she said it was my own fault for gossiping. I wish I was dead!’
‘Hey, that’s enough of that,’ Suzie said firmly. ‘Nothing’s ever that bad, and don’t let me hear you say that again.’
‘But Leanne’s gonna kill me,’ Holly wailed, as if her friend hadn’t grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Suzie was quiet for moment. Then, sighing, she said, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do. Get ready for school as usual tomorrow morning, then come round to mine. I’ll leave the back door open for you.’
‘Why?’ Holly sniffed.
‘If you need a couple of days to let things blow over, I’ll ring your school and pretend to be your mum,’ said Suzie. ‘I’ll tell them you’ve come down with a stomach bug or something.’
Holly’s heart momentarily leapt before immediately sinking again. It sounded like the perfect solution, but she’d never wagged school in her life, and the thought of getting caught and dragged in front of the Head again terrified her almost as much as the thought of being gripped by Leanne.
‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘I’ll get into trouble.’
‘Trust me, you won’t,’ Suzie insisted. ‘Me and my mates used to do it all the time and we never got caught. Now quit worrying and get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.’
17
After a restless night, Holly felt like death warmed up when she got up the next morning, and she groaned when she saw her pasty complexion and the dark circles under her eyes. Wondering if it might be worth waking her mum to ask again if she could stay off, she shuffled out into the hall, but changed her mind when she heard deep rumbling snores coming through her mum’s door.
Back in her own room, she picked her phone up off the bedside table when it beeped as she was pulling her uniform on, and her stomach turned to water when she read the message on the screen.
I’m waiting, bitch. See you soon!
It had come from a withheld number, so she didn’t know who had sent it, but she figured it had to be Leanne, which meant that the girl was probably intending to ambush her on her way to school.
Jumping when another message pinged onto her phone, Holly gazed down at it and was relieved to see that it was from Suzie this time.
Morning, hon, are you coming over? X
Holly bit her lip and stared at it for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. Then, her heart racing, she typed Be there in a minute X and quickly pressed Send before she could change her mind.
Suzie’s back gate was unlocked and Holly found herself in a small, neat garden when she stepped through it. Ahead of her, the kitchen door was standing ajar, and she could see Suzie moving around in the kitchen wearing the same black satin dressing gown she’d seen her in on the morning after Rob had attacked her. Still nervous about skipping school, she contemplated leaving before Suzie spotted her. But it was too late. Suzie walked over to the sink at that exact moment and waved to her through the window.
‘I was starting to think you’d lost your nerve,’ Suzie said, kissing Holly on the cheek when she came inside.
‘I nearly did,’ Holly admitted.
‘Glad you didn’t,’ Suzie said, moving over to the counter when four pieces of golden brown bread popped out of the toaster. Dropping them onto a plate, she said, ‘Be a pet and butter those. Unless you prefer yours dry?’
‘Oh. Is some of that for me?’ Holly asked.
‘I had a feeling you might skip breakfast if your stomach was still iffy, so I’m making enough for both of us,’ Suzie said, switching the kettle on before cracking three eggs into
